My Guardian Vampire

I woke up staring into the eyes of Gerard.

“Ali? You awake?”

“No, I just sleep with my eyes open.” I shook my head, smiling. “Sorry. My head hurts a little. Wait-“ I sat up, “Where am I?”

“You passed out,” Ray said. I felt my head, feeling a small bump probably from where I hit my head against the floor. I swung my legs over the sofa, and suddenly a thought hit me.

“Oh shit, is the baby okay?” I asked, looking at Ray. As a nurse, I figured he would be able to tell-

“I don’t know.”

-or not. I stood up quickly, but then sat back down.

“I stood up too fast,” I said, grabbing my head. I felt almost sea sick, a headache forming as my eyes hurt from trying to make sense of things. Gerard put one hand on my shoulder and the other on my stomach as if to steady me. He looked up at Ray.

“I think we should have her checked out at the hospital,” Gerard said. Ray’s mouth pursed as he thought.

“I think she should be seen too. But there’s the fact that she’s a missing person…”

I frowned, biting my lip as I tried to think of what to do. I couldn’t show up anywhere as I had remained missing, even after the night of the concert. My family still did not know I was alive and in town, and I no longer went to school. Gerard and I talked it over, and though I was upset with myself for not finishing high school, we decided I would just become a kind of permanent member at The New London Fire’s household.

I told Gerard that maybe after the baby was born I could go online and get my GED or something, take classes under a different name. Money wasn’t really a problem, but just because I was taken care of didn’t mean I shouldn’t at least try to better myself. I didn’t think college was an option with a child, but who knows.

“I’m calling Mike,” Bob said, picking up a phone.

“Why Mike?” I asked.

“Billie might have owned a hospital too, who knows.”

I smiled as Bob put the phone speaker on so we could all hear. It rang a few times before we heard the click of the phone on the opposite end being picked up.

“Hello?” Mike asked. It took me a moment to realize it was Mike. It was weird hearing his voice on the phone again.

“Hi Mike,” I said, smiling even though he couldn’t see me. I hoped he could hear my smile and that I was happy to talk to him. Sometimes you just can hear it when someone is happy and wants to talk to you.

“Ali!” Mike exclaimed enthusiastically, making me laugh as he sounded almost like Tré. Mike didn’t seem like the happiest person, so I was overjoyed to hear him happy. I never noticed it until that moment, but I really cared for Mike and Tré. Not only because they saved me, but because I respected them a lot.

“Mike, you’re on speakerphone, just to let you know.”

“Hi!” the room chorused.

“Hey,” Mike said, laughing. I smiled at Mike’s laugh, and felt someone looking at me. I looked up to see Gerard watching me, smiling also. Though it might seem different, Gerard wasn’t really the jealous type. He was only jealous or upset when he thought a guy liked me and was hitting on me, which didn’t happen often at all. Like, nearly never. He knew I cared for Mike and Tré like any other good friend, and he was happy to see me happy.

One of the other many, many, reasons I Ioved Gerard.

“Say Hi to Tré for me!” Brittany laughed. Mike laughed.

“Me too!” I yelled, making Mike laugh again.

“Sure. I don’t know where he’s gotten to, but he’s been crazy today. So, what’s up? Is there something wrong?”

“Isn’t there always. We wanted to know-”

“Who’s that?” I heard from the background on Mike’s end.

“Ali and the rest,” Mike said. “What did you want to know Ali?”

“ALI!” the background voice yelled. I heard some clunking, and then the phone went dead.

Everyone looked at each other in silence for a moment. I hung up the phone and then re-dialed their number again, but no one picked up. I tried calling a few more times but no one answered.

I shrugged as I hung up the phone for the last time.

“I guess I’ll go e-mail Mike,” I said. Gerard nodded and stood up, apparently deciding to go with me. We left the room full of my friends as they conversed and joked over what could have happened.

Gerard took my hand as we walked. I looked at him and smiled warmly, moving in closer to him. He let go of my hand and put his arm around my shoulders. He then kissed my cheek, making my heart warm over. I paused in my walk and turned towards him, putting my face in the crook of his neck as I hugged him.

I knew it was just the stupid hormones, but I suddenly felt the sudden urge to cry, sadness washing over me. I hugged Gerard a little tighter as I fought back the tears. I didn’t want to cause Gerard so much worry, and if I hurt the baby-

“What’s wrong?” Gerard asked, realizing I was crying now. I shook my head, unable to talk as I attempted to keep the burning tears in. “Hormones?”

I nodded, and Gerard hugged me.

“If I could switch…well, I wouldn’t, because it really sucks.”

That made me smile.

“Jerk,” I said, still crying a bit as I coughed out a laugh. He took my hand and smiled back as we walked into our room.

There was a computer sitting against one of the walls. Gerard and I sat in the two adjacent chairs, and I logged onto my e-mail, praying that I had been smart enough to save Mike’s e-mail.

I soon discovered there was no need to remember, as one of my new e-mails was titled “Hey, it’s Mike.”

I opened it, and Gerard and I read it together.

“Hey, it’s Mike,

Sorry about hanging up on the phone, but Tré tackled me and broke it. He says it wasn’t his fault. And he also says HI, very loudly and in my ear. Anyways, I’m glad you called. I’ve been meaning to call, but lately there no time. I was wondering if you guys could take a trip to New York? There are some things we need to talk about.

If it’s a problem, then I can come there. But it’s probably better if you can come here.

A presto,

(See you soon,)

Mike.”

Gerard and I looked at each other.

“Well, I don’t have anything to do. You?”

“Nope,” I said, shrugging. “I guess we can go. Let me just-”

The next thing I knew I felt the familiar feeling of air rushing past at a high speed. I squealed in surprise, invoking a laugh from Gerard.

“Gerard!” I yelled over the rushing wind. “I need clothes, and my iPod, and-“

“Okay. Hold please.” He set me down. I had no clue where exactly we where, but I found myself standing in front of a McDonalds.

A very sketchylooking McDonalds.

I walked in quickly, a little terrified of the dark and what might be out here. I bought a coke and sat at one of the booths and ran a hand through my hair, wishing Gerard would come back.

I then heard someone laugh loudly behind me, though it was a very strange laugh. I turned around, and no one was behind me that looked like they had been laughing. I shook my head to myself and sighed, turning back around.

Sitting on the other side of the table was Bert, sipping on my soda. I looked at him with wide eyes, totally caught off guard.

“You,” I stammered, wondering if I was hallucinating. “What’re you-”

“Glad to see you too whore,” he said, and spat soda at me. I wiped the soda off, disgusted, and he laughed. “Fucking alone in a McDonalds how pathe-”

I cut him off by punching him in the face. I did it again, and he didn’t stop me. Once more, and then he was holding my hands, getting ready to punch me-

Then I was ripped away from him, and Gerard was suddenly there, pounding on Bert. Bert had always seemed so much stronger than Gerard, but Bert seemed unable to get a punch in. People tried breaking them up, but Gerard pushed them away as he furiously beat on Bert.

I had never been so piss scared of Gerard.

“Gerard…” I said meekly, but then my senses rose. “Gerard!” I yelled, and he looked at me for a moment, his eyes focusing in on me like he was going to attack me next. They then softened, but then Bert took the moment to hit Gerard back, right in the face. Bert then quickly ran to me, about to give me a sucker-punch in the stomach.

Then all I saw was black.

But this black was much, much worse.